Jumping Into The Dating Pool
by Nefer Lio
Summary: Mako is depressed because both of his former girlfriends have moved on to date again. Bolin's genius solution: To go on a date and get to know their boyfriends. Will the firebender learn to live with the competition and be happy for his friends?


When Bolin arrived at Mako's place he instantly knew something was wrong. The appartment was a mess; Mako had evidently not only forgotten to do his housework, but also thrown stuff around. He knew his brother must have been very, very upset. Normally his feelings did not get the better of him.

"Bro, whats up", he questioned when he entered the living room. An empty bowl was in front of the firebender, but he could not tell if the bowl had been full of noodles or sake. Or both maybe?

"Now Korra is dating, too", he answered and the mere mention seem to hurt him. Bolin knew what this was about. Some months ago they had found out Asami had jumped into the dating pool again, and it had hurt Mako a lot, too.

"How did you find out", Bolin questioned. With Asami it was just bad luck on her part. Team Avatar had met to eat something and when she took of her high collared jacket there had been a hickey. It seemed fresh, so she could not have noticed it, yet. She reluctantly admitted that she was seeing someone, but said she did not want to jinx it since she did not know where this was headed.

After much persuasion she allowed each of her friends one question about her mysterious boyfriend.

Bolin had asked if he was a bender. The answer: "The most hotheaded firebender ever!"

Mako had been depressed even then, but tried to fake a good mood when he asked if the other guy treated her right. Asami had told him: "Yes, I feel very safe whenever we are together."

In the end it was Korras turn. After much hesitation she asked: "Are you happy?" Which Bolin instantly recognized as the most important question of them all. He might even have interrupted and stated something to the matter, too. The CEO had just smiled and nodded, her face had spoken volumes: She was totally in love and very happy.

But now Korra had jumped the bandwagon.

"Mako?" Mako looked up, he did not seem to have heard the previous question, so Bolin repeated it. The firebender seemed in much pain when he answered: "She told me straight to the face when we were sparring together. She said she was on her way to a lunch DATE."

Bolin's eyebrows shot up: "She really said that?" - "Yeah." - "Sorry, Bro."

"Do…", the earthbender asked, unsure if he was overstepping some boundaries, "do you think she told you just to make you jealous?" - "No, not Korra", was the reply, "she seemed genuinely happy. I think she just talked without thinking... again."

"Im sorry, Mako", Bolin really was, it had to really hurt when you see your only two girlfriends move on. He knew he felt the same way watching Korra date his brother.

"I don't even know why it upsets me so much", Mako told, "I'm over her." - "Well, it does not seem like it", Bolin murmured a sentence that was not for his brother's ears.

"If you are, you will agree to a triple date", he said louder, and Mako furrowed his brows: "Sounds like a gang to me. Aren't they in war with the Red Monsoon?"

"You and me, Asami, Korra and their boyfriends", the earthbender explained his idea, "it could be fun." - "You really think so", Mako did not sound convinced, but his brother was on fire: "Sure, you just know a guy that can keep up with Korra has to be a lot of fun to be around."

Bolin thought on that statement for a moment, then realized who he was talking to: "Exceptions confirm the rule."

* * *

><p>"So I was thinking, to keep the awkwardness flowing, you and your boyfriends meet Mako and me", Bolin told the girls when he next saw them at Air Temple Island. They just looked at one another. "You really think this is a good idea", Korra questioned and saw Bolin nodding in wide eyed excitement.<p>

"Wait, do you know each other's boyfriend", he asked, suddenly very curious. While Korra blushed (as she always did if one were to mention her boyfriends; she had done that with Mako, too), Asami answered: "Yeah we kind of went on one or two dates together."

She looked for Korra's approvement, before she spoke up again: "And I don't know if this is a good idea. I don't want to hurt Mako any more."

"Don't worry, my brother is tough", Bolin said and flexed his muscles in his brother's stead, "except if your firebender is a lot bigger than him. Then he might feel threatened." Asami shook her head. "So it's a date?" The girls just nodded, because there was nothing they could do about it.

* * *

><p>Friday was the big night. Bolin and Mako had been at Narook's for hours before the girls arrived. Not literally, it just felt like it. They had spent the time drinking warm sake from bowls, as was the tradition in the water tribes.<p>

Asami and Korra arrived on time with an unidentified expression. When they sat down after a small greeting, Bolin looked around for the missing persons: "So? Where are they?"

The girls looked at each other, trying to find the courage to say something horrible. At least that was what they looked like. At any rate, they seemed genuine sorry for it.

Asami was the first to do something. She pointed with her head towards Korra and said plainly: "My firebender." Kora looked like a kid with her hand caught in the cookie jar and was nervously fidgeting on one of her ponytails, when she added: "Yeah, I kinda made the hickey."

Bolin was the first to get the joke and laugh loudly. "No really. Where are they?"

The Avatar seemed to take this as some kind of attack, as visible in her eyes, and she laid one hand on the back of Asami's head pulling her into a fierce kiss.

After parting she looked at Bolin aggressively: "Do you believe me now?" - "Still have my doubts", Asami quipped, while her face ironically told the opposite. She was swooning over Korra in exactly the same way she had swooned over her hotheaded firebender.

A slight cough got their attention - the waiter was standing there with a very flustered expression. Without much thought they gave their orders.

"Did I do something wrong", Mako asked with a terrified expression when the waiter had gone. "No", both girls answered immediately without even the need to look at each other before. "It was not your fault", Korra told him with an unusual earnest voice, "it was Asami's, really." - "How is this my fault", the heiress responded irked, "you asked me for a date first, you kissed me first, you made me a hickey for them to find out…" - "But you were gorgeous first", Korra responded smoothly. Asami blushed and quietened down.

"How did this happen", it was Mako again, trying to comprehend the situation. He really tried to be happy for them, and even though his smile was awkward, you could see in his eyes that it was sincer.

"She just asked me out on a date out of the blue", Asami explained laughing, "I thought she was kidding." - "Oh, I was", Korra added with a smirk, which made the other woman face her in utter confusion: "You were?" - "At least I would have told you that if you had said no."

The Avatar padded the other woman's leg under the table but refrained from making more contact: "You know, I'm no good with words." - "Yes, I know, you have been calling me your 'girl friend' for a year now." - "That was not wrong, only premature."

The two shared a laugh, while Bolin was in his best fanboy mode and squealing. Mako on his end was… very hard to read. Which was exactly why Asami turned to him next, took his hand and said: "Mako, we're so sorry." Her girlfriend slumped into the booth's backrest, her arms crossed in front of her chest and murmured almost inauditable: "I'm not sorry for taking her."

Either she did not hear or she did not care, but Asami continued: "We didn't want to hurt you…" Korra nodded in approvement. "...that's why we decided to see where this was going before telling you guys."

"No, actually", Mako started, unsure if this sounded as stupid out loud than it did in his head, "actually, this makes it somewhat easier. If you dated some jerks it would crush me thinking that you still traded up. But as it is… I know the both of you are awesome, so it's cool." He gave them an honest smile. "I just can't shake the feeling that I did something wrong."

"Regarding Korra", Asami told him while leaning conspirative over the table, "you could have taught her Republic City manners a bit better." The subject of the conversation groaned, she knew exactly where this was headed: "I just don't get the whole flower thing. You guys could be so happy that you have plants growing here, but no, you are all: 'I found this beautiful flower, and it reminded me of you, so I killed it.' What kind of sissy hunter would kill an innocent plant?!"

Mako and Asami looked and one another and started laughing. While wiping a tear from his eyes, the firebender pressed: "I kinda remember having heard THAT rant before."

After that the conversation went well. The girls told the story of their first date, the story of the hickey and how they had decided quite early on to refrain from public affection. Asami had glared at her girlfriend while talking about this subject, since the Avatar (even though she agreed on the decision) had a hard time following through. At this point in time she had breached it about four more times.

As the evening passed so did the subjects. When the basics were established, it had quickly shifted to Bolin's new mover, then to Mako's latest arrest, then to the new plane Asami had created and finally to whatever Avatar stuff Korra did. The defining thing about Team Avatar was not who was dating whom (since this changed way too often anyways), but it were its members.

* * *

><p>"So", Bolin asked his brother when they finally separated from the girls, "it was a good idea, wasn't it?" His brother pulled him into some kind of half-hug, tousling his hair: "Yes, it was. But ONLY because Asami and Korra were coincidentally dating. Else it would have been super awkward." The earthbender rolled his eyes: "Not it wouldn't. It's awkward because you make it awkward. You can understand why they chose each other, so that's why it's okay with you. It would have worked just as well when you would have gotten to know their boyfriends."<p>

Mako thought about that for a moment, then put his arm around his brother: "You know what… for someone who had 5 servings of rice-wine you are sure wise."


End file.
